Plants extend roots into soil to take up water and nutrients therefrom for plant growth. The water in the soil can be taken up by the plant, evaporated by the action of the sun or wind, or absorbed deeper into the soil beyond the reach of the roots. Water that evaporates or is absorbed deeper into the soil is unavailable to the plant for sustaining plant growth. This is especially troublesome in environments where the water supply is limited or water conservation is desired because significant amounts of the water applied to the soil for plant growth is lost.
Often, it is desirable to cultivate soil that is not near an abundant supply of water. To accomplish this cultivation, the land is often irrigated by water brought from great distances or deep wells. However, as the soil is not adapted for plant growth, there is a greater tendency for the water to be wasted and lost due to evaporation from, or absorption deeper into, the soil.
Deserts by their nature have little water and typically sandy soil, are often unsuitable for cultivation and usually do not support plant life. Wind swept regions and rocky regions also offer poor growing conditions and often do not support plant life. This absence of plant life often makes the land uninhabitable by animals.
The agricultural industry desires improved water conservation while maintaining plant growth and desires to increase the amount of land available to sustain plant growth with minimal use of water. The present invention satisfies at least some of these desires.